Why You (Probably) Didn't Get Lost in Metroid Dread

Summary

In this insightful analysis, Mark Brown from Boss Keys explores the design techniques in 'Metroid Dread' that guide players without overt direction. He discusses how the game cleverly uses points of no return, proximity of keys and locks, fast travel systems, and breadcrumbing to reduce cognitive load and prevent players from getting lost. Brown also ponders whether these techniques enhance or detract from the Metroidvania experience, depending on a player's focus on action, exploration, or completion.

Takeaways

• 🕹️ Metroid Dread is a Metroidvania game with a sprawling, interconnected world where players must explore and navigate without direct guidance.
• 🧭 Despite the game's non-linear nature, players often find themselves magically in the right place without getting lost, suggesting a hidden guiding mechanism.
• 🔍 The developer, Mercury Steam, uses various tricks and techniques to subtly guide players through the game world.
• 🚫 'Points of no return' are used to limit the explorable area, making it easier for players to find their way forward and reducing the risk of getting lost.
• 🔑 The game places 'locks' (areas requiring abilities to progress) close to the 'keys' (abilities), ensuring players have recent memory of the required actions.
• 🌐 Fast travel systems are implemented to bridge distant 'locks' and 'keys', making the game world navigable without excessive backtracking.
• 🍞 'Breadcrumbing' is employed, using collectibles and visual cues to lead players along the intended path.
• 🚀 The game's design reduces the number of locks for each key, simplifying the player's decision-making process and aiding in pathfinding.
• 🎮 The effectiveness of these techniques varies among players, depending on whether they value action, atmosphere, or exploration in their gameplay experience.
• 🔄 For players who enjoy exploration, Metroid Dread's guiding hand might feel patronizing, as it reduces the challenge of navigating a complex world.
• 🔄 Conversely, for those less interested in exploration, the game's design ensures a smooth, well-paced experience with minimal frustration.

Q & A

What is Metroid Dread's genre and how does it differ from other games in the franchise?

Metroid Dread is a Metroidvania game, characterized by a sprawling, interconnected world. Unlike some other games in the franchise, it does not explicitly guide the player on where to go, instead requiring them to figure it out for themselves.

How does Metroid Dread manage to feel both linear and non-linear at the same time?

Metroid Dread uses various design techniques to guide players through the game without them realizing it. These include points of no return, placing locks near keys, fast travel systems, and breadcrumbing, which together create a sense of non-linear exploration within a linear path.

What is the 'ever expanding explorable area' problem in Metroidvania games?

The 'ever expanding explorable area' problem refers to the increasing difficulty in finding the path forward as the game progresses and more of the map becomes accessible. This can be overwhelming for players, as they have more areas to explore and remember.

How does Metroid Dread combat the 'ever expanding explorable area' issue?

Metroid Dread combats this issue by temporarily locking players into small segments of the world map, reducing cognitive load and preventing players from going too far in the wrong direction.

What is the significance of placing locks near keys in Metroid Dread?

Placing locks near keys in Metroid Dread helps players to easily remember where to use newly acquired abilities, as the location of the lock is likely still in their working memory from recent exploration.

How does Metroid Dread use fast travel to assist players in making progress?

Metroid Dread provides teleporters that quickly transport players to the location of a lock when the key is found far away, making it easy to make progress without extensive backtracking.

What is breadcrumbing in the context of level design in Metroid Dread?

Breadcrumbing is a technique where small rewards or hints are placed to guide players along the intended path. In Metroid Dread, this could be in the form of missile upgrades or energy tanks that lead players towards the next area or ability.

How does Metroid Dread's design affect players who enjoy exploration and navigation?

For players who enjoy exploration and navigation, Metroid Dread's design might feel patronizing as the way forward is often quite obvious, reducing the need for thought and potentially diminishing the joy of discovering the world on their own.

What is the impact of Metroid Dread's design on players who are less interested in exploration?

For players who prioritize action and atmosphere over exploration, Metroid Dread's design provides a well-paced experience with a large, interconnected world that is easy to navigate without getting lost or needing to engage in tedious backtracking.

How does Metroid Dread cater to players who play the game multiple times?

Metroid Dread offers a different experience for players on subsequent playthroughs, allowing them to challenge the game's designed path and explore alternative routes or sequence breaks, with the developers even including rewards for such endeavors, like the secret cutscene for insta-killing Kraid with bombs.

Outlines

00:00

🕵️‍♂️ The Intriguing Linearity of Metroid Dread

This paragraph explores the unique design of Metroid Dread, which presents itself as a non-linear 'Metroidvania' game but feels strangely linear. The player is tasked with exploring an interconnected world to find Samus's abilities, but the game subtly guides the player without explicit instructions. The narrator, Mark Brown, decides to analyze the game's design to understand how it manages to be both linear and non-linear simultaneously. He identifies various techniques such as 'points of no return' that restrict the player's movement and keep the explorable area manageable, thus preventing players from getting lost.

05:02

🗺️ Navigating the Map in Metroid Dread

The second paragraph delves into the game's world map and how the placement of abilities (keys) and their required use (locks) contributes to the game's navigational ease. Mark Brown illustrates that the locks are often located near the keys, within the same biome, which helps keep the player's memory load light and the path forward clear. He also discusses the reduction in the number of locks per key, which simplifies the player's decision-making process. Furthermore, the paragraph explains how the game uses fast travel systems to bridge distant locks and keys, maintaining the game's non-linear feel while guiding the player effectively.

10:03

🍞 Breadcrumbs and Exploration in Metroid Dread

This paragraph discusses the 'breadcrumbing' technique used in Metroid Dread to guide players through the game world. Mark Brown explains how the game uses collectibles and upgrades as incentives to lead players along the critical path. He provides examples of how players are drawn to follow a trail of rewards that ultimately guide them to the next required ability or area. This technique is contrasted with the traditional Metroidvania approach of scattering locks and keys across the map, which often requires more backtracking and exploration.

15:07

🤔 Player Experience and Game Design in Metroid Dread

The final paragraph reflects on the impact of Metroid Dread's design choices on different types of players. Mark Brown considers how players who enjoy action and atmosphere may appreciate the game's guidance and pacing, while those who seek a challenge in exploration and navigation might find the game overly prescriptive. He also touches on the experience of players who revisit the game, suggesting that they might enjoy trying to break the intended sequence. Brown concludes by sharing his personal preference for exploration and navigation, expressing a slight disappointment with the game's world design due to its guiding nature.

Keywords

💡Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread is a video game in the Metroid series, known for its exploration and action elements. The game is characterized by its non-linear gameplay, where players uncover abilities and explore an interconnected world. In the video, the script discusses the game's design and how it guides players subtly, making it easy to find the path forward without getting lost.

💡Metroidvania

Metroidvania is a subgenre of action-adventure video games that combines elements of the Metroid series with the game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It emphasizes exploration, discovery of abilities that allow access to previously unreachable areas, and a non-linear world design. The script uses this term to describe the genre to which Metroid Dread belongs and to discuss its gameplay mechanics.

💡Exploration

Exploration in the context of video games refers to the act of discovering and navigating through the game's world. It is a core mechanic in Metroid Dread, where players search for abilities and new areas. The script discusses how the game's design encourages exploration while minimizing the risk of players getting lost.

💡Backtracking

Backtracking is a gameplay mechanic where players return to previously visited areas using newly acquired abilities to access new paths or items. In the script, it is mentioned as a common element in Metroidvania games, but Metroid Dread is designed to minimize this by placing 'locks' (areas that require new abilities to progress) close to where the corresponding 'keys' (abilities) are found.

💡Cognitive Load

Cognitive load refers to the mental effort involved in processing information. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the amount of map information a player needs to keep in mind while playing. The script explains how Metroid Dread reduces cognitive load by temporarily limiting the explorable area, making it easier for players to navigate.

💡Points of No Return

Points of no return are game design elements that prevent players from returning to previously visited areas, often by locking doors or creating one-way paths. The script discusses how Metroid Dread uses these points to guide players through the game world and prevent them from getting lost.

💡Locks and Keys

In the context of Metroidvania games, 'locks' are obstacles or barriers that require specific abilities to overcome, while 'keys' are the abilities themselves. The script explains how Metroid Dread cleverly places locks near the corresponding keys to aid in player navigation and memory.

💡Breadcrumbing

Breadcrumbing is a game design technique where players are subtly guided through a game world using visual or interactive cues, such as collectible items or enemy placements. The script describes how Metroid Dread uses breadcrumbing to lead players from one ability to another, ensuring they stay on the critical path.

💡Fast Travel

Fast travel is a game mechanic that allows players to quickly move between different locations in a game world without the need to traverse the distance manually. The script mentions how Metroid Dread uses fast travel to connect distant 'locks' and 'keys', making it easier for players to progress.

💡Critical Path

The critical path in game design refers to the main storyline or sequence of events that a player must follow to complete the game. The script discusses how Metroid Dread uses various techniques to guide players along this path, ensuring they make progress without getting lost.

💡Completion Rate

Completion rate in gaming is the percentage of content, such as levels, items, or abilities, that a player has discovered or unlocked in a game. The script mentions the narrator's personal completion rate in Metroid Dread, reflecting their experience with the game's exploration and the impact of its design on player engagement.

Highlights

Metroid Dread features a sprawling, interconnected world that requires players to explore and navigate without explicit guidance.

The game uses various abilities that players must find and backtrack to unlock new areas, creating a sense of exploration.

Despite the game's non-linear design, players often find themselves magically in the right place without getting lost, raising questions about its design.

Developer Mercury Steam employs clever tricks to guide players through the game, creating an illusion of non-linearity.

The game uses 'points of no return' to limit the explorable area and reduce cognitive load, making navigation easier.

Metroid Dread combats the 'ever expanding explorable area' problem by making certain areas inaccessible until specific abilities are found.

The game's level design includes one-way paths and barriers that guide players without them realizing they're being directed.

Locks and keys are placed close to each other in the game world, aiding memory and reducing the need for backtracking.

Metroid Dread reduces the number of locks for each key, simplifying the path forward and minimizing the need to remember multiple locations.

Fast travel systems are used to bridge distant locks and keys, maintaining the game's accessibility and reducing frustration.

Breadcrumbing is a technique used to guide players with enticing rewards, subtly leading them to the intended path.

Visual cues and enemy placements are utilized to direct players towards the critical path and away from dead ends.

The game's design effectively guides players but may feel patronizing to those who enjoy the challenge of exploration.

Metroid Dread's techniques can be seen as a force for good, providing a well-paced experience for action and atmosphere-focused players.

For players who value exploration, the game's guiding hand may detract from the experience by making navigation too obvious.

The game's design choices cater to different types of Metroid players, affecting their experience and completion rates.

Metroid Dread's world design may limit the desire to explore optional areas due to the presence of points of no return.

The game's techniques are not foolproof, and some players may still find themselves lost or frustrated.

Repeated playthroughs can offer a different experience, as players may choose to challenge the game's designed path.

Transcripts

There’s something a bit strange about Metroid Dread.

This is a full on Metroidvania. It takes place in a sprawling, interconnected, ant farm of

a world. You’ll need to scour the map to find Samus’s various abilities - and then

backtrack through the world to use those powers to unlock new areas.

This is a game where you explore and navigate. And unlike some games in the franchise, there’s

no one telling you where to go - you need to figure it out for yourself.

And yet - I’m not sure I really figured out anything for myself. When I played Metroid

Dread I seemed to just magically end up in the right place. And I don’t think I ever

got lost for more than a few minutes.

How on earth does that happen? How is this game both linear and non-linear… at the

exact same time? Something fishy’s happening here.

So I decided to play through the game again.

This time, in true Boss Keys style, I did it with a pen and paper and an analytical

eye. And what I realised was pretty interesting.

You see, behind the scenes, developer Mercury Steam is using all sorts of clever tricks

and techniques to - essentially - guide you through the game. To pull you through the

world of planet ZDR, like you’re tied to an invisible rope.

And so in this video, I want to show you these techniques - these tricks that make it easy

to find the way forward, and hard to get lost. I’m Mark Brown, this is Boss Keys, and this

is why you didn’t get lost in Metroid Dread.

Check out this tiny bit of level design. Samus can squeeze through this gap by using her

basic, built-in slide move. But at the other end, she pops out of a hole that’s slightly

above the ground. That means she can’t slide back through - and whatever’s on the left

side of this gap will be completely inaccessible until much later on, when she finds the morph ball.

Until then, it’s a point of no return.

Now, Metroid Dread is absolutely full of these. You’ll drop down into places where you can’t

jump back up, slide down hills that are too steep to climb, plop into water that’s too

deep to swim out of, step on giant fidget spinners that close off reverse access, walk

through giant doors that lock tight behind you, and so on. And so on.

So what’s the point? Well, I think it’s about combatting a Metroidvania problem that

I call the “ever expanding explorable area”. And it’s basically this: at the start of

a Metroid game, you are restricted, by your abilities, to a tiny part of the map. Which

means it’s not too difficult to find the path forward. Like, after you get the missiles

in Super Metroid - even if you can’t figure out where to go next, there’s literally

only 13 rooms to check.

But as the game goes on, and you uncover more and more of the map, the explorable space

grows and grows. Once you find the power bomb in that game, there are well over 100 rooms

accessible to you. Finding the path forward can be an overwhelming prospect.

That's why it's called an EEEA. That's the sound you make when you

realise the scale of the task ahead of you. EEEA!!

But now look at Metroid Dread. We start the game in Artaria - and travel through a whole

bunch of different areas - including a large, maze-like EMMI zone. And a semi-submerged

cave system to the west. Then we get the Phantom Cloak. And if we’re not sure where to use

it, do we need to check every single room in Artaria?

No - because if you travel in the wrong direction, you’ll find that this whole section of the

map is actually, completely inaccessible. Three passageways are too tight to squeeze

through until you have the morph ball. And in one room - a fiery plant has inexplicably

appeared, and it can’t be pruned without the ice missiles.

So it means your explorable space is actually pretty small.

And this is something that happens throughout the game - at many, many points throughout

Metroid Dread, the designers temporarily lock you into a small segment of the world map.

This makes it easier to find the way forward, because you only need to keep a small part

of the map in mind at one time - your cognitive load is pretty small. But it also makes it

very difficult to get lost because, when Metroid Dread wants to - it can physically stop you

from going too far in the wrong direction.

For the most part, though, you’ll never even know its happening as these points of

no return seamlessly appear behind you.

Okay, so Metroidvanias are about finding abilities - the game’s keys, so to speak. And then

finding the place where those abilities are needed to make progress - as in, the locks.

Now, most games in the genre sprinkle the locks and keys all over the map, forcing you

to zig zag back and forth across the world. You might find the Boost Ball in Phendrana

Drifts, but it’s used to unlock an area all the way back in Chozo Ruins.

Now. Here’s the world map of Metroid Dread’s planet ZDR.

I’m going to put the location of 13 of the game’s 22 abilities on the map. And now,

I’m going to put the location of the rooms where those abilities are needed to make progress.

And what you’ll see is that in all of these cases, the lock is just around the corner

from the key. Literally, in the same biome. So, you get the bomb in this part of Dairon,

and use it a few rooms over, also in Dairon. You get the ice missiles on the west side

of Ghavoran, giving you access to a room on the east side of Ghavoran. Get the cross bombs,

and they’re essentially needed next door.

This is surely intended to help with memory. Because if the lock is somewhere you’ve

visited very recently - it’s still in your working memory. Meanwhile, all those rooms

you visited at the beginning of the game? They’re long forgotten. So, placing the

locks close to the keys makes it much, much easier to make progress.

But it goes a bit further than that. In most Metroidvanias, there are usually many locks

for each key - you get the Desolate Dive in Hollow Knight, and now you can smash through

a whole bunch of floors, all over the world. Typically, only one actually provides the

way forward - while the rest will lead to optional pick-ups, secret bosses, or just

another locked door that you can’t open yet.

That’s not always the case in Metroid Dread, though. Like, once you get the Plasma Beam,

it’s not like you can now open loads of locked doors all over ZDR. In fact, once you

get back out of Elun, you can only reach one door in the entire world that’s locked behind

a plasma shield. Which is, yes, the place you need to go next.

By reducing the number of locks you need to remember, the game makes it easier to find

the correct path.

Now, I should state this is definitely not true for every power-up in the game. The grapple

beam is a good counter example - the world is full of places to use it, and once you

have the ability you can now find handy pick ups, collect stuff you can’t use right now

- like this power bomb resource in Cataris, and even get very early access to the game’s

optional power up, the pulse radar.

So, that’s technique two - Metroid Dread makes it easier to find the correct path by

reducing the number of locks for each key - and putting the most important lock, the

one that will push you further along the critical path - close by.

But, I did say that this is for 13 of the game’s 22 abilities - what about the other nine?

So, you get the morph ball in Cataris. You need it to squeeze through here, back in Artaria

- which lets you find the Varia suit. And then, the Varia suit is needed back in Cataris,

to withstand this superheated room.

That’s more like classic Metroid, right? Bouncing back and forth around the world.

And it’s not the only time that happens. You get the space jump in the north of Ferenia,

and need to use it in the depths of Burenia. You get the screw attack in Artaria, and need

it to smash through blocks in Ghavoran. These locks and keys are spread out across the world,

sending you zig-zagging across the planet.

That is, if it wasn’t for the game’s fast travel system.

So when you get the morph ball in Cataris, the most obvious place to use it is here - just

around the corner, in the same biome.

On the other side is a teleporter, which sends you to Artaria - right next to the Varia suit.

You’re then led back to the same teleporter - which sends you back to Cataris. And - wouldn’t

you know it, you’re just round the corner from the superheated room that requires the

Varia suit. How fortuitous!

So, sure - the morph ball and Varia suit may be miles apart from one another, but this

teleporter essentially puts them right next door. And it’s the same for those other

lock and key pair ups I mentioned: the space jump unlocks a teleporter to

Burenia. And the screw attack gives you access to a nearby teleporter that will warp you

to Ghavoran.

So even if the lock is far away from the key, Metroid Dread still makes it easy to make

progress by giving you a a teleporter that will zap you to the right spot.

Plus this also has a nice, additional consequence - that makes it even harder to get lost.

So as I said, after you get the morph ball you can go left and find a teleporter to the

Varia suit area. But let’s say you go the other way. You go right. You travel, by foot,

all the way through Cataris, take the elevator down, and travel all across Artaria. Eventually,

you’ll end up in this room - which is the other end of the teleporter, and the location

of the Varia suit.

As I said in the Hollow Knight episode, having multiple routes to the next part of the critical

path can be a really good idea - it makes it much easier to make progress because you’ve

now doubled the chances of the player finding their way. And that’s what happens in Dread

- if you go left after finding the morph ball, you’ll get to the Varia suit. If you go

right, you’ll get to the Varia suit. Same either way.

You know the bananas in the Donkey Kong games? Those tiny collectible items that you want

to pick up. Well, the level designers know you want to pick them up, so they can use

them in all sorts of ways - like showing you the right route to take, or teasing you to

stumble into shortcuts and secrets.

This is a technique I like to call “breadcrumbing” - as in, providing little treats that lead

you wherever the designers want you to go. And Metroid Dread does this a lot.

After you get the morph ball, you’ll be tempted to go through here, to get a missile

upgrade. Then drawn up here, with another missile upgrade. And then up here, to get

this energy tank - which leads up to the Varia suit room.

Once you get the speed booster, you’ll want to smash through this wall, to get an energy

tank part. And once you get the Flash Shift, you’ll want to come back to this room to

get this Energy Tank - which happens to be right under the door to the next part of the game.

After you get the screw attack, you may be tempted to head left to blast through these

screw attack blocks and get a missile upgrade. Which guides you to the elevator back to Burenia.

Here, you’re tempted to head left by more screw attack blocks and another treat. And

then pulled upwards by more screw attack blocks and yet another treat. All of which leads

you to a teleporter - and the place where you need to use the screw attack to progress

the game.

So even though the screw attack is found in Artaria and is needed all the way up in Ghavoran

- you are led there by a bunch of breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs don’t have to be upgrades, mind you. Enemies on the other side of a wall can

encourage you to blast through hidden blocks. And these small fireflies are just a visual

effect, but happen to hang around the doors you need to enter to make forward progress.

Anything the game can do to grab your attention and pull you in the direction of the critical

path - it will do it.

So I think those are the four main techniques that Metroid Dread uses to make it easy to

find the path forward, and hard to get lost.

Points of no return trap you in small sections of the map, to reduce your cognitive load

and stop you going in the wrong direction.

Putting the locks near the keys means the way forward should always be in your working

memory. And if the lock isn’t nearby, there’s probably a fast travel teleporter to get there.

And tempting breadcrumbs are used to guide you through the world, from one ability to

another.

There are some other techniques too, of course. Like, how these lights form a design language

to suggest where you should use the spin boost and space jump. Or how memorable landmarks

lodge in your brain and tempt you to return later. But those are the big ones.

And, for the most part, these techniques are very effective at guiding you through the

game. I can watch back the footage of me playing through Dread for the first time, and see

me falling into every trick and trap that’s been engineered by the designers. It’s hilarious.

Of course, it’s not going to work 100% of the time. You can still get turned around.

Not know where to go. Get stuck in a room and proclaim it a crime against game design.

And, contrary to the clickbait title, yes - you can get lost.

While the points of no return often lock you into small areas, there are other parts of

the game where the world is much more open. And tricks like breadcrumbs may not work on

every single player, every single time.

But, by and large, these techniques do work to help you stay on track. The question, then,

is - are they a force for good? Do they make the experience of playing Metroid Dread better

or worse?

Now, first, I should state that all Metroidvanias use techniques like these to help you find

your way. Even Dread’s perhaps naughtiest trick - the point of no return - can be found

in multiple places in Super Metroid - such as this one-way door in Brinstar, and this

massive drop down into Norfair.

Subtle clues and directions stop Metroidvania games from being tedious and annoying. So,

ultimately, it’s more down to their frequency and intensity. And yes, Dread uses them often,

and quite aggressively.

But, ultimately, what you think of these techniques will come to how - and why - you play Metroid

games.

There are those who play Metroid games primarily for the action and atmosphere - and are less

interested in the exploration aspect.

If that’s the case, then Metroid Dread gives you the feeling of exploring a large, interconnected

world - but with less risk of getting lost, and without the need to get bogged down in

tedious backtracking and map-reading.

And, on top of that, you’ll find a game that is alarmingly well paced - a whirlwind

tour of different abilities, biomes, and bitchin’ boss fights, where you’re always making

forward progress.

Then, there are those who play Metroid games primarily for the joy of exploring and navigating

a complex spaghetti mess of a world.

If that’s the case, then Metroid Dread can feel rather patronising.

At some point you’ll realise that you don’t need to think too hard about navigation, because

the way forward is always pretty obvious. So you can stop thinking so hard about this

stuff and just let the game whisk you off to the next stop on its guided tour. And if

you care about navigation, that’s not much fun.

Plus, when it comes to exploration, you may find yourself attempting to break out from

the critical path to find items - only to be rebuffed by points of no return. So you

may not bother to hunt down optional goodies and secrets, even when the game does open

back up. You’ll just stick to the critical path.

And then, there are those who play Metroid games multiple times.

If that’s the case, then - sure, your first go at Dread may be guided by an invisible

hand - but subsequent adventures are about deliberately fighting against that hand. Using

the movement tech and bugs to break out of the game’s sequence, and do things in a

better, faster way.

And its not like the developers are unaware - if you manage to get the bombs before you’re

supposed to, you can insta-kill Kraid in a special, secret cutscene.

For me, personally, I’m not really into sequence breaking or speed-running. And while

I really dig the action and atmosphere of Metroid games, my favourite bit has always

been navigation and exploration. So, as much as I loved Dread’s combat and controls,

I did feel a bit let down by the game’s world design.

I wanted to figure things out for myself - but just stopped trying and let myself be guided

to the end. I wanted to explore - but, felt trapped by points of no return, so ended up

with a paltry 39% completion rate. And I wanted to feel deeply connected with this world - the

same way I feel about Hallownest, Zebes, and Lordran - but that didn’t really happen.

So that’s me. What about you? What was your experience on planet ZDR? And what sort of

Metroid player are you? Let me know, in the comments down below. Thanks for watching.